My favorite gifts from my kids when they were young? Coupons! “Anytime kitchen clean-up”, “shoulder massage”, “one hour of quiet time”, oh there were many such wonderful gifts. My girls made the coupons and wrapped each up for me to “cash-in” throughout the year.

Grandparents love to get coupons for guaranteed time with grandkids. From a scheduled visit to time on the phone or Skyping on the computer on a regular basis – this cherished commitment will end up being a gift to both grandparents and grandkids.

Holiday gift-giving is notoriously tough on budgets because so much money gets spent all at once. This year, try stretching that budget with a coupon. Do the kids love baseball? Coupon them tickets to a home game this summer and add a baseball or t-shirt to the gift to make it fun. What about a trip to a museum? A play? A movie?